The present invention relates generally to manure spreaders and, more particularly, to an automatic closing device for the fine material pans commonly found on modern manure spreaders.
Due to increasing costs of labor and bedding material, the modern trend in livestock operations is to use less bedding material resulting in a manure having a higher moisture content and a less solidified consistency than previously standard pen-type manures. To aid in handling this more sloppy material, farmers have been requesting the inclusion of fine material pans on the standard box-type manure spreader. An example of a manure spreader fine material pan can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,695 granted to Brackbill et al. on Jan. 17, 1967.
Fluid endgates are also being included on the box-type spreaders to retain this soupy material within the spreader box during transport of the material to the site upon which the material is to be discharged. This fluid endgate operates as a false rear endwall for the spreader box. When the farmer wishes to discharge the material, the fluid endgate is rotated in most structures to a horizontal position above the spreader box where it does not interfere with the discharge of the material. Examples of fluid endgates can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,699 granted to C. A. Smith on Feb. 23, 1965, U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,050 granted to J. L. Lee on Jan. 4, 1972, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,272.
On presently operated spreaders, a fluid endgate and the fine material pan are separately mounted and operated. The fine material pan generally is hinged along its rearward side and secured against the spreader floor by a latching mechanism at its forward side. If, at the end of a run, the operator wishes to empty the fine pan of any material accumulated there, he merely releases the latch mechanism and the fine pan swings down about its hinged side.
Prior to the instant invention, to return the fine material pan to its operating position, secured against the spreader floor, the operator had to dismount the tractor and rotate the fine pan upward by hand. This process is both time consuming and objectionable to most operators.